The invention relates to the technical sector of construction machines using buckets, scoops, dippers and other receptacles designed to scrape or load materials or similar in order to transport these from a given location to other work stations using construction machines and equipment.
Applicants have previously developed a system and process for connecting wearing parts for such applications as mentioned before awarded European patent 618.334.
Briefly stated, the system connecting wearing parts such as removable teeth and shaped adapters to tool ends and receptacles is remarkable in that the tooth and the adapter are provided at at least one of their contact sides and/or thickness with one or more additional configurations to constitute areas and hollows for introducing, holding, retaining and removing a filler material that, placed after the installation of the tooth on the adapter, will constitute at least in these areas an absolute contact between the tooth and the adapter, allowing the latter to accept stresses and strains on the largest surfaces, said material, being fluid and self-deformable providing, once solidified, the connection between the tooth and the adapter.
The function of the additional holding configuration or configurations designed to be filled with and retain the material is to keep in place the mass or masses of the elastic material allowing it to be compressed or to expand while multidirectional mechanical forces are transmitted to the adapter as the tooth is operating.
The system referred to before also includes a key that contributes to linking the assembly.
The system referred to before and the process related to it defined in patent EP 618.334 have been further tested under existing loads that appear and result from the use of the patent referred to.
These complementary tests are likewise applicable to the connection of the tooth and the adapter using a key as the connecting means. The use of keys is well-known in itself and applicants have so stated, citing numerous examples in the European patent mentioned.
Within the framework of their research, applicants have set out to optimise the use of the system connecting the tooth to the adapter using highly particular configurations to obtain very efficient assemblies.
Said research and tests have led to the development and selection of specific tooth, adapter and key shapes that eliminate any risk of losing the key when in use, and providing conditions facilitating the installation and removal of teeth on-site while obtaining at each and every replacement the initial, high-quality of assembly.
Another purpose according to the invention was the design and selection of a filler material as regards its nature and characteristics.
According to a first aspect, the system connecting wearing parts of the tooth and adapter type mounted onto the end of tools and receptacles in use on construction machines and equipment of the type where the tooth and the adapter are provided at at least one of their contact sides and/or thickness with one or more additional configurations to constitute areas and hollows for introducing, holding, retaining and removing a filler material that, placed after the installation of the tooth on the adapter will, with the additional use of a key, provide for contact between the tooth, the adapter and the key, is characteristic in that:
the key, placed vertically, has a curvilinear segment configuration with an increasing thickness, said key having a transverse, L-type configuration, said key having areas that are anchoring areas for the elastic filler material, said key being shaped as to its lower part to function as a plug when said material is inserted;
the tooth, as regards its top and bottom surfaces, is provided with peripheral, symmetrical openings to allow the key to be entered from below, said openings having symmetrical profiles for the introduction of the filler material, for guiding, locking and ensuring that the L-profiled key acts as a plug;
the adapter has profiled openings fitting the key with a curvilinear inner configuration at the rear to provide a contactless fit of the key, the remaining openings having lands providing momentary support of the key as it takes up extremely high wrenching forces.